juniper
I guess you're planning to use the same stand that you have on the existing broken 55 gallon tank too then, so having both tanks set up at the same time would not be possible.
I made a similar switch back in December and didn't lose any visible living creatures.
If I was in your situation, here's how I would plan on doing it.
Stuff you may need to make it easier and safer for fish and inverts:
Long length of 3/4" vinyl tubing.
Maybe another powerhead or two - depends how many you have now.
A removable thermometer.
20 or 30 gallons or so of newly mixed/aerated saltwater - mixed to as CLOSE to the same parameters as your tank water, pH, specific gravity, temperature, etc ...
Test it - don't guess.
Go buy 2 or 3 "new" 30 gallon Sterilite or Rubbermaid plastic containers and rinse them out with freshwater first.
Siphon off some of the tankwater to one of these containers.
Start removing your anemones and corals and some of the live rock to this container, and place a powerhead in to provide gas exchange and some water circulation. Fill this container up until it's full, but not packed full. Leave some room in there for the corals and rock so they aren't toppling over on each other. Do fill it up with tankwater though.
Continue to siphon some more water from the tank to the other container, but leave enough water in the tank for the fish. Keep removing rock and any other corals. Once you get all of the corals and rock moved over, start to transfer the clean-up crew - hermits and turbo snails.
Place a powerhead in this one too.
Now that all the rock and inverts have been moved, carefully net your yellow tang, domino damsel and maroon clown and move them over one at a time to one of the containers that has the least inverts. Make sure the fish have some rock to hide in, they will be stressed.
Siphon off the remaining tankwater to the container(s) but don't suck up the nasty stuff near the bottom crushed coral substrate.
Tear down the broken tank, light fixtures, equipment and filters and set them aside.
If you have any biofilter media, such as bioballs or filter pads - toss them in one of the Rubbermaid containers to keep the bacteria wet and warm.
Check the temperature of these containers now and then to insure the temp does not drop too low. If so, add a heater(s). This time of the year you may not have a dropping temperature problem to deal with. I did in December.
Now for the fun part.
Move the stand to it's new location and set up your new 55.
Pour in the sand to the desired depth. If dry, just pour it in to 4-5 inches across the bottom of the new tank.
I've always placed a clean glass bowl on top of the sand and pour/pump the water into it. Helps to reduce stirring up the sandbed, and works well.
Begin to add some of the water from the containers. Just enough to get the sand wet. This is where I would then add some of the newly mixed saltwater. Maybe 10 gallons or so.
You're DSB should be pretty much under water now, or very close to it.
The rest is just a sequence of adding some more water, adding the base of the live rock stack, adding some more water, and so on until you get everything moved over.
Once you have enough of the old tankwater transferred over, you can start adding your anemones and inverts. Keep filling up the new tank with rock and critters until it's all done.
This is where having some new mixed saltwater comes in handy. Having a full tank and leaving some old water in the container for the fish to hang out in until they're moved over.
Lastly - add your fish.
Get your filters back in working order.
Place powerheads into the new tank.
Check temperature.
When I made my switch - I used more than 50% new saltwater. I ddon't recommend anyone doing this unless you are comfortable doing so.
My fish and inverts are all pretty hardy specimens - there was not a problem.
I would add "some" new saltwater when doing the switch. How much is up to you.
Don't worry too much about the cloudy water, it will clear up in a couple few days and is no big deal. As the tank begins to clear, you can do any rearranging of rock, corals and anemones.
Expect some of the corals to withdraw and close up for some time. It's a big change they've been through - but most likely they'll come out of it okay.
Check your temperature, specific gravity and any other tests you'd care to run.
Some folks will scoop up some of the old CC and place it in the foot of womens panty hose, and knot the ankle. Then lay this on the DSB to help seed it with bacteria. I've never done this, but it does not sound like it would hurt anything.
If you are planning to add live sand to this tank, I would do one of two things.
Either add it on top of the DSB dry sand once you get some water in the tank.
OR
Wait awhile for the tank to stabalize - and add it later.
Doing so first will make it a one day project, and the tank will clear in a couple days.
Doing so later will mean making a cloudy mess again, but would be fine too.
I'm sure I've probably missed a step or two, and hopefully some other folks here will offer up some suggestions as well.
By the way - if you EVER have plans to upgrade to a larger tank like a 75 gallon - now is the time to do it )
AND
If you want to make any fish changes - like returning the damsel to the lfs - again now's the best time to do that - since you gott'm netted and in the container it's much easier now than later
Wish you luck.
